Law and Policy

Politics GOP Proposed maps - October 2021
Politics Proposed GOP Maps Would End Evers’ Ability to Veto Any of Their Bills

Gov. Evers: “Republicans will have to do better than this if they expect me to sign either of these bills—they need to go back to the drawing board.”

Christina Lieffring Christina Lieffring October 21, 2021 6:40 pm CDT
Politics Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester) holds a press conference on April 13 where he demands Gov. Tony Evers accept severe restrictions on local health officials, schools, and the governor himself in exchange for tens of millions of dollars in federal supplemental COVID food aid. (Image via Wisconsin Eye.)
Politics GOP Approves Resolution That Tries to Lock in Gerrymandering for Another Decade

The resolution declares it “the public policy of the state” that electoral maps change as little as possible.

Christina Lieffring Christina Lieffring September 29, 2021 2:12 pm CDT
Law and Policy Defund Police on MLK Drive in Madison. (Photo by Eric Tadsen)
Law and Policy Who’s Really ‘Defunding the Police’? GOP-Authored Funding Rules.

Declining state aid under Scott Walker left municipalities with tough budget decisions. Police departments have faced cuts.

Christina Lieffring Christina Lieffring August 20, 2021 2:00 pm CDT
Politics A police officer draws a gun
Politics ‘More Work Left’: First Police Reform Bills Pass, but Some Push for More

Evers says he’ll sign the bills, but he, legislative Democrats, and organizers say the state needs deeper reforms.

Christina Lieffring Christina Lieffring June 21, 2021 2:18 pm CDT
Social Justice (Photo © Lola Abu-Shawareb)
Social Justice Wisconsin Senate Takes First Steps Toward Police Reform Since George Floyd’s Murder

More bills await a vote in both the Senate and Assembly as the state inches toward reforms. The Wisconsin Senate on Tuesday passed four police reform bills, the first legislative action to change law enforcement policy since last year’s mass protests began after the murder of George Floyd by a then-Minneapolis police officer. The bipartisan...

Jonathon Sadowski Jonathon Sadowski May 12, 2021 3:20 pm CDT

continuing coverage

Emanuel Montalvo cuts Aaron Feria's hair on Oct. 12 at The Lounge Barbershop in Arcadia. The barbershop is one of a growing number of Latino-owned businesses in the Trempealeau County city that is home to a fast-growing Latino population. (Photo by Julian Emerson) Latinos As Latino Populations Increase, Communities Are Also Seeing a Growth in Latino-owned Businesses
The post-war economic boom of the 1950s and 60s sharply increased Wisconsin crop production. In this photo from the Wisconsin Historical Society, Latino farm workers hoe a cucumber field near Wautoma in 1967. Economy From Farms to Factories to New Businesses, Latinos Have Made a Mark on Wisconsin’s Economy for More Than a Century
Harmful blue-green algae blooms, like this one seen on Lake Monona in Madison, are becoming more frequent along Lake Superior as climate change continues to make conditions right for the species to bloom. (Photo by JT Cestkowski) Climate How Climate Change Is Causing Harmful Algae Blooms on Lake Superior
Nada Elmikashfi, chief of staff to state Rep. Francesca Hong (D-Madison), is outspoken about racism and bias, even at the statehouse. (Photo by Christina Lieffring.) Politics Hostile Workplaces, Closed Minds, Hurtful Rhetoric—Welcome to the Wisconsin State Capitol
Courts Former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin, center, is taken into custody as his attorney, Eric Nelson, left, looks on, after the verdicts were read at Chauvin's trial for the 2020 death of George Floyd.
Courts ’Amen!’—Wisconsin Reacts to Chauvin Conviction. State’s Racial Disparities Task Force Begins to Wrap Up.

Jurors in Minneapolis convict former police officer. Wisconsin panel still debating a "use of force" policy.

Jonathon Sadowski Jonathon Sadowski April 20, 2021 5:48 pm CDT
Law and Policy (Photo by Unsplash)
Law and Policy Another Fight Over Local Control: This One May Sink a Bill Decriminalizing Pot

Introduced in three legislative sessions, parties now disagreeing on a change that would remove local control over penalties.

Jonathon Sadowski Jonathon Sadowski April 12, 2021 12:25 pm CDT